Vuelta al Pais Vasco - Stage 5

So, is today a breakaway stage or will the GC guys bring it back together for a big finish?

My money is on a select group reaching the finish together (mainly GC people) similar to the crazy stage during Tirreno-Adriatico.

My 1,2,3 for today is Sanchez, Quintana, Henao. Sanchez has something to prove and Euskatel need a win, Quintana and Henao are both in great form and I can't see any group with Porte in making it to the finish at the front, why would you tow along Porte when he's just going to smash you to bits in the TT?

At this points in time Txurruka has pretty much sewn up the mountains and sprint jerseys so will he bother racing today?

Agree with your synopsis drh, a couple of them thar hills near the end look pretty steep. I've been toying with the idea of dropping Ulissi in favour of a wildcard for the breakaway, as there's a bundle of KOM and sprint points available. Will probably decide to play safe given my position.

Still, the following are tempting to the long-odds gambler inside...
Albasini (can't afford him anyway)
Voight (ditto)
Kadri
Roche
Clarke
Anyone from Blanco

My perfect wildcard would be Intxausti but at 30+ credits he's just too expensive.

Someone like Albasini, Pinot or Fuglsang might feature (I reckon a couple of distanced GC guys might try a strong break) but only if you think the break will reach the finish, I don't.

Maybe Cunego and Anton might feature if you think it'll come back together before the finish, they're more affordable too and Cunego hit the break on the similar Tirreno stage. Anton too might try to break away in order to ease the pressure on Sanchez a little.

But today is too unpredictable for me so I'm just going leave things as they are.

I hovered over a couple of gambles for a break (BMC?), but there were just too many (equally unlikely) options, so ended up being boring and bringing in Peraud for Ulissi. So I have the top 7 on GC, plus Txurruka and a 3-credit guy to give me enough credits for the team I want tomorrow. Wonder what the weather's like out there?

Looks like a Fuglsang/Weening 1-2 would do me nicely as everyone seems to be axing Fuglsang. Im gonna keep him for the ITT too as I don't see anyone of the same price range that is guranteed to be better, may bring in Sanchez for him though. Will drop Henao and Quintana for Martin and Peraud tomorrow and take the gamble on Contador as he should still be the best of those 3 a an ITT

I hovered over a couple of gambles for a break (BMC?), but there were just too many (equally unlikely) options, so ended up being boring and bringing in Peraud for Ulissi. So I have the top 7 on GC, plus Txurruka and a 3-credit guy to give me enough credits for the team I want tomorrow. Wonder what the weather's like out there?

Announce snow above 600 meters and the two highest levels of today's stage beyond that altitude. Urraki has 679 and Santa Ageda, between Bidania and Beizama, reaches 700.

The two passes are in the initial part of the route, in the first fifty kilometers. Layout designed by cyclists Organizations Euskadi between Eibar and Beasain is winding, difficult to control. Presents ten highest scoring (one of the first, second and four of five in the third) and three tip over because Liernia, on whose summit will transit three times, not award points for the Grand Prix of the Mountain.

The bad weather threatens to harden a seesaw complicated in itself in which both aspiring adventurers final victory cross their interests.

Difficult to understand but at the minute it appears as if they're just saying it's going to make today much harder.

I've given up on Sanchez and Talansky. Hoping for something from them yesterday but nada! Not sure they'll even do well in the ITT. Played safe and brought in Contador and Spilak, bring in 2 or 3 for the TT tomorrow. I expect a fairly small group over the last climb, maybe 20 max and mostly GC favourites. Contador might try something today on the descent otherwise he's handing the race to Porte on a plate and he said he came here to win. Tomorrow's TT suits him better than the one in Catalyuna as well.

I agree, if anyone actually wants to win this race other than Porte they need to throw everything at him today. The problem is that with Henao up there too between them they can track the moves and keep Sky in a strong position.

I think Sanchez may do something today, both he and Euskatel need a win and I'm sure they'd like to take in this race.

According to biciclismo, Nordhaug, Pineau and Hupond are in a break. Meanwhile, according to diariovasco, Nordhaug, Pineau and Hupond didn't sign on this morning and the order over the first climb was ...
Txurruka (202 - Caja Rural),
Pinot (155 - FDJ),
Ratto (146 - Cannondale).

My bad Spanish tells me that Txurruka was first over the first cat 3, followed by Pinot and Ratto. The next 2 are the ones that they might be missing out, depending on the weather. I think the peleton is all still together...

According to biciclismo, Nordhaug, Pineau and Hupond are in a break. Meanwhile, according to diariovasco, Nordhaug, Pineau and Hupond didn't sign on this morning and the order over the first climb was ...
Txurruka (202 - Caja Rural),
Pinot (155 - FDJ),
Ratto (146 - Cannondale).

They didn't sign in. I think fuga in this instance would mean they escaped from the race and baja can also translate as sick note.

mountain 2
1 Herrada
2 Silin
3 Hesjedal
Silin has been the star of my disastrous purist team, giving me my fourth lanterne rouge of the season on stage 1, now he's in a break. Let me down on stage 3 though by foolishly finishing second last.